Lexington, KY — A moving video by U.S. Olympian Courtney King Dye opened the 2nd Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium held Saturday July 23rd at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY. The Olympian who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in March 2010 could not be in attendance at the symposium, so instead shared her message on helmets and the effects of having a traumatic brain injury by video presentation. The video which is available at www.youtube.com/riders4helmets has already received morea than 28,000 views since being posted a week ago. King Dye is an avid supporter of the Riders4Helmets campaign and has been vocal in support of helmet wearing since her accident.

The symposium brought together representatives from various corners of the equestrian world to discuss the importance of wearing helmets, rider safety and to improve helmet designs, rules and more. The chairs of the meeting were Dr. Craig Ferrell, physician to the United States Equestrian Team and Chair FEI Medical Council, and, Lyndsey White, co-founder Riders4Helmets.

Symposium topics included: Expect The Unexpected, A Parents Perspective On Helmets, Traumatic Brain Injury in Equestrian Sport, Helmet Use In Equestrian Sports – We Are ALL Role Models, A Strapping Success: Understanding and Promoting Helmet Use with Performance Psychology, Current Helmet Rules – A Discussion, and, Cowboy Hat To Cowboy Helmet: The Transition. Full videos of all presentations will shortly be available at www.youtube.com/riders4helmets, while reports from the symposium can be viewed at www.riders4helmets.com.

The symposium was generously sponsored by Tipperary, Troxel Helmets, Charles Owen, Samshield, Ovation and Equestrian Professional. While an equestrian safety fashion show was sponsored by Equisafety (high-viz apparel range), Equestrian Collections and Ovation.

For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign, visit www.riders4helmets.com or contact [email protected]. You can also follow the campaign at www.facebook.com/riders4helmets and http://twitter.com/riders4helmets.  Riders4Helmets logo wear is available for purchase at www.equestriancollections.com with all proceeds supporting the campaign.

Riders4Helmets was founded in early 2010 after Olympic dressage rider Courtney King Dye was seriously injured in a riding accident. King Dye, who remained in a coma for a month following her accident, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and continues to undergo rehabilitation. The goal of the Riders4Helmets Campaign is to educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing a properly fitted and secured, certified helmet.